Week 83: The Power of the Book of Mormon

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and are excited for this new year! For me, I didn't do really anything special for the new year, but I have made some great goals and I'm excited for a new beginning again. I have been in Thailand since 2018, so it's very weird to me that this will be the year that I go home. I'm excited to serve with all my might these last 5 months! 

This new year I'm really excited to focus my studies on the Book of Mormon and just really dive into it. We have been focusing our finding efforts, teaching efforts, and our studying on the Book of Mormon and I've seen so many miracles already. I'll share 2 really quickly...

First, my companion and I were visiting a member and at first he wasn't there because he was a little late to our appointment. However, a man was passing us and we started talking to him. We got to know him and I asked if he got anything cool for Christmas last week. He said he didn't get anything and it just so happened that I had a wrapped Book of Mormon in my hand at that time. I gave it to him and he opened it and we got to talk about the Book of Mormon and how it has completely changed our lives. He loved it and wanted to start reading it with us right then and there. It was such a miracle and it strengthened my testimony of the power of the Book of Mormon! 

Second, I was walking down the street and I saw some people lifting some boxes into a truck, so I stopped and helped them out. One of the guys, out of nowhere, asked me what church I'm from. So I told him and he said he loves reading books, including the Bible. I told him I had another book, called the Book of Mormon, that I would give to him the next time we met. He was thrilled and told us that he would meet us at the church! I believe the Book of Mormon opens people's hearts and is such a powerful tool in conversion. 

On Friday, I got to switch off in an old area of mine. I got to go back to Don Muang for a day and switch off with Elder Halversen again! It was so much fun because I got to visit so many people that I taught and show Elder Halversen some of the LAs that I visited while I was there. I saw Sister ซี (See), Brother เพชร (Pet) and Sister กิ๊ก (Gig)! I love that area and the people there so much! 

Lastly, I want to talk about 3 cool individuals and families we are teaching. One, is a little 9 year old boy named น้ำแข็ง (Nahm Keng), who is so ready for the gospel. We gave him the children's Book of Mormon and he had just been reading a ton from it. He was recounting the story of Joseph Smith and Nephi to us better than all the adults that we teach. He loves the gospel and he loves praying! 

Second, we are teaching this one family that has a ton of kids. The dad's name is โกฮัง (Gohang) and the mom's name is แก้ว (Gaew). They have such great faith and want to be baptized, but we haven't got the dad to come to church yet. We hope that the Lord will provide a miracle and help them get to church soon!

Third, สุวัฒน์ (Suwat) and his family. His son พัช (Pat) is actually a recent convert and wants us to teach his family, including his dad, aunt, and sister. The dad is progressing so much and is just the nicest guy, and his sister comes to church and has told us she wants to be baptized. I'm really excited for this family and for their desire to learn more about Jesus Christ and how to follow him. 

I'm so excited for this new year and for all the miracles in store! I hit my 19 month mark today, which is just crazy! I love you all and may God bless you this year. 

Love, 

Elder Lowe 

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Watermelon for the APs:  Elder Sunsion and Elder Lowe

Week 57: Baptism of Brother Q

This week has been a really crazy and stressful one, but I'll just give you all a summary and a funny story or two. Ok to start Brother Q (คิว) was baptized and it was such a wonderful day. However, everything leading up to it was a little crazy with trying to schedule the interview, filling up the water for the font, and getting members to it since it was on a Saturday. In the end everything worked out and he received the Holy Ghost the next day. All in all, the Lord answers our prayers if we ask for help with real intent and sincerity in our hearts. I've seen the person that Brother Q was to what he is now, and I can see a new person with more light in his life. 

This entire transfer my companion and I have worked on visiting Less Active members and helping them return back. I have seen miracles by just consistently visiting and ministering to these people. I haven't done so much less active work on my whole mission until this transfer, but it has been wonderful to see the excitement and happiness the good news brings to people's lives. 

We are teaching this one guy named อิ้ม (eem) and he is really cool. So missionaries from along time ago taught him, but he couldn't ever go to church because he works on Sunday. We began teaching him about 2 weeks ago and at first he said he didn't want to give up smoking, he didn't want to go to church, and that he didn't want to be baptized. It was honestly a little upsetting and frustrating because he didn't know what he was missing in his life. Nevertheless, we continued to visit and teach him and he has changed his mind. His heart is beginning to open. He has accepted a baptismal date and asked his boss if he can get off on Sundays. I am convinced that the Lord has a big hand in all of this and has been preparing his heart over the last 2 weeks. 

Funny Story:

One day my companion and I were teaching this person while eating food. My companion had drunk a bunch of water at the time and said that he had to go to the bathroom. However, one of the first things I learned in Thailand is that public restrooms don't really exist besides in malls. We were too far away from home and we had another appointment soon so we just traveled to our next appointment. After that one finished we had a member appointment which we were already a little late to. My companion said he couldn't really hold it, but I told him that there would be a bathroom around where we were going to. We went into the taxi and about 10 minutes he starts panting and grunting in the back and tells the taxi to stop. He pays the guy and then sprints out of the car and just runs about 100 meters and starting a peeing in the middle of this little neighborhood. A bunch of people came out of their houses laughing and asking me if he was drunk and I said that he just really had to go to the bathroom. What started from a weird incident turned into a pretty cool discussion. I told them that we were missionaries and that we have a special message for them. It was a really weird and cool experience to say the least where I was able to share the gospel with about 10 people at the same time. Although none of them accepted the message, I felt that we needed to share that message with them at that moment. 

Two new people that we are working with this week are named เพชร (pet) and กิ๊ก (geeg). They walked into the church together on Sunday and we got to teach them about Heavenly Father and how we can communicate with Him through prayer. The Spirit was there and they actually went to a family home evening with us the next day at a members house and then English class on Tuesday! I know that God has prepared their hearts  to receive this message!! I'm soo excited to teach them. 

Lastly, transfer calls just came yesterday and I am staying in the same area with the same companion! I'm so excited to help the work progress here and see all the miracles that the Lord has in store for us. Love you all so much. Have a good week!

Love, 

Elder Lowe

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Flooding in Bangkok

What is that?

Dinner 

Baptism of Brother Q

Baptism of Brother Q - group photo

Family Home Evening at Wisan's house

FHE - Pet and Geeg came

Drink from a bag

Like his shirt

Week 50: Our District is on Fire

So this week was “way” good and my district is doing so good - we are on fire. For starters, I had the opportunity to interview four people for baptism this week!  So far I have interviewed nine people for baptism in the last two transfers! The success in this area is amazing.  It feels so good knowing that one by one we are sharing the message of Jesus Christ’s gospel with the people in Thailand and inviting more joy and happiness into their lives.

This week we taught a bunch of people and got to teach with Elder Khanakam (member of the Quorum of the Seventy). We had the opportunity to teach with him before, it’s such a spiritual experience.  He is incredible when he teaches. I have learned so much from his example about how I can become a better missionary and show more love to those I teach! 

We had seven people at church this week and the people we are teaching are progressing more and more. For example; Somsak and his daughter are really starting to accept the message of the gospel.  I am so happy for them.

This week both Min and Ratchani received the Holy ghost and became members of the true church. They radiate with a light from within.  It’s so incredible to see the changes they have made in their lives.  

Lastly, I went on a switch off with our zone leader, เอ็ลเดอร์เอกนิรันดร์. He is on his last transfer and he is Thai. He was such a good missionary and used these insane analogies that only Thai people would understand! 

Well that's it for this week. Sorry this is all over the place I just had no time … more to come next week.

Robert bikes this narrow concrete passage

Robert had fish for dinner at Sister Issaya Inlee.  He says she is the nicest lady.

The sisters in Robert's district and Him and his companion.  Robert is the district leader.

Week 37: Happy Valentines Day - love you family!

Wow in terms of being a missionary there have been so many changes this week! First missionary emails were changed to end in @missionary.org. So I think my new email will be lowe.robert@missionary.org if you would like to email me anything! Second and the crazier change is that I am now able to contact my family every p day and on holidays and on my parents' birthday. What a huge blessing it was that I got to call and see my family this morning. Love you all so much, you truly are the best family ever. The central message of the gospel is centered on families so I think it is such a wonderful experience that I get to talk with them every week :)

This week was super cool and full of different miracles and cool experiences. To start with the miracles, we had 13 new people we are teaching this week and are constantly teaching and finding at every opportunity. Additionally we had 8 people that we are teaching come to church, but unfortunately only 6 of them came in time to take the sacrament. I believe these miracles came from fervent prayer because me and my companion were just "praying always" this week - never ceasing. In the end น้อง William came to church so he can still be baptized on March 3rd if he comes the next 2 weeks! 

Some cool experiences is that we got 6 new referrals this week. It has been hard to get any referrals in this area but I guess all the members decided to give us more people to teach at the same time haha. 

Another insane experience was that we were out finding on Saturday and we saw one of the people we had taught about 3 months ago. When we approached her she introduced us to her sister and it turns out that her sister happened to be a member of the church who didn't know where the church in Phuket was. Basically this member was baptized in Bangkok and moved to Phuket not too long ago. She has a very strong testimony and she wants her sister to be baptized and go to church. How sweet is that?! 

Also on Valentine's Day night the power went out all over Phuket and so when we got home at 9 that night we couldn't turn on the AC. Me and my companion were just were drenched in sweat until we woke up in the middle of the night and figured out it was back on. Wow am I grateful for electricity!!

All in all, it was a great week. We had the opportunity to give a blessing to one of our investigators' cousins, I had the best โรตี (roti) ever, and so many people came to church. I know the Savior loves each and everyone of you. He continues to bless me and my family as I serve a mission. I know as we turn to the Savior when we have pains or struggles in this life, he will heal us and make our burdens light! 

A few weeks ago I finished reading the Book of Mormon in Thai.  I know this book to be the word of God.  The promises of the Book of Mormon are true and I feel them and see them as I serve as a missionary.  I am now reading the Doctrine and Covenants.  I am so impressed by the modern revelations given to the prophets at the time.  

Love, 

Elder Lowe

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1) me and ไก่ (guy) - he is a christian and loved the message of the gospel. He has so many pictures of Jesus in his house! 

2) Happy Valentine's Day! Love you mom! Love you all too!

3) the awesome Filipinos in our branch that have us a referral this week!!

4) this different version of checkers they have in Thailand which was nuts! I got destroyed by all the คนไทย (thai people)

 5) My boys from the MTC. Love you Elders! 

Elder ?, Elder ?, Robert, Elder Ward, Elder, Elder ? Wilson ??

Week 31: 22 foot waves in Phuket

Well this week there was a huge storm in Thailand, specifically the south of Thailand where I live. I had gotten so many people asking if I was ok and if I was still alive. But, honestly all there was was just a little rain haha so I'm totally good!! Because there was a "huge storm" we were asked to stay in our house, so my companion and I just studied the whole book of Abraham! Honestly so many good things in those chapters especially chapter 3. So if any of you have time to read Abraham 3 it is a good read. I learned so much and it opened my eyes to how big the universe is and how we small we are and yet God knows us individually! So crazy but true!! 

So moving on from that, this week was way way successful. This week we had 7 INVESTIGATORS at church. Like legit 7 people we have been teaching came and I was amazed. So many miracles. We asked one of these people, กอล์ฟ (golf), how he liked church and he said he loved it and that he felt something he hadn't felt before. I know the Lord is blessing me so much down here in Phuket!! 

Plus we continue to find a bunch of people interested. This past week we found 6 new people that we are teaching! One of them was this guy named เชียวเชิญ (chiawchun), who worships idols. Next time I go over there I will have to take a picture but literally his house looks like a วัด (Buddhist temple). He might have 1000 statues of different Buddahs. But we are gonna have to change that somehow haha wish we luck! He is way open to Christianity though and says he worships Jesus too. 

My companion and I got another dater this week. Her name is sister อ้อม (awm) and she has been to church twice now. Her baptism is for the 20th of January and I'm so excited for her and her progress! 

Funny story: 

I met this lady at the park and started talking about buddhism and christianity, and she told me flat out that she wasn't interested. Then on Christmas Eve I get a call from her saying that she wants to begin learning. So we started teaching her and she went on for days rambling on about her life. In the end she told us she didn't want to learn though. I was a little confused and then she told me she just wanted a place for her kids to run around (the church). So a couple days later she showed up to English class and then church but doesn't participate or do anything. I'm not sure what to do. She is a little crazy too and yeah haha. 

Love you all!! I'm going to send a bunch of photos since I haven't sent some in a while. The mission rocks and I'm so excited for this next year. 2019 will be completely in Thailand...blackout year!!!

Love, 

Elder Lowe 

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Welcome 2019!!